Hmmm Wu Style ???

[Xue Sheng]

I was posting an answer in another thread and I began to wonder something about Wu Style Taijiquan.

Back when I first started in CMA my first Sifu was trained in China in Wushu. This means a lot of forms done mainly for competition. But I feel it was great experience and it gave me a sampling of multiple styles that I would otherwise never have had the chance to try. Because of this I found Taiji and Xingyi.

But when he trained me in Tai Chi first was Yang and then was Chen and before Chen ended I started training a Wu style form as well. I liked Wu and it is no secret I liked both Chen and Wu better than Yang but there were no true teachers of either Wu or Chen in my area so I went to Yang style and I do not regret this decision, I have learned a lot from my Yang style Sifu.

However back to my thought. I had to stop doing Wu because no matter what taiji style I did some part of it or many parts of it started to look like Wu, particularly wave hands. And wave hands in Wu is different enough from Yang to look wrong and very different from Chen. Then I found I needed to concentrate very hard not to change to Wu style during another Taiji form I was doing which lead to the decision to stop training Wu style.

I am now beginning to wonder if I should not pursue Wu again since it seemed to come rather naturally to me and it does come from the Yang small frame of Yang Banhou which at least still connects me to Yang. I guess I am wondering if anyone else has run into this with forms and style that they do. Also I am looking for opinions on whether or not I am crazy (Strike that, I know that answer) I should ask am I pursuing the wrong path and should forget it and double my Yang training or should I follow it and see where it goes?

Now if I do pursue this there is still the problem of a legitimate Wu family teacher. I have checked and I would have to travel the following to get to one

5.5 hours North West
3 hours North
3 hours South East

So the travel time is a bit of a problem right now. So I decided I should look for the videos of my first sifu doing the only 2 Wu forms he taught me, short (possibly competition) empty hand form and a jain (straight sword) form. If I find them I may start working on these forms again and see where it takes me.

Just wondering out loud and wondering if I should pursue this?

Thanks :asian:
XS

 

[Xue Sheng]

I should probably have added this.

This does not mean I’m not going to continue Xingyi, Sanda and Yang style.

I am just wondering if I shouldn’t go back and give Wu a try again. I am in no hurry so I have time.

I also just found out there is a Northern Wu style school 2.5 hours west of me.

Now if I can just find out what the difference is between Wu and northern style wu.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Zue 2.5 hours is a small commute if the desire to study Wu style is there. Some of my friends study Wu Tai Chi and are very, very happy training in the Ann Arbor area. Personally if you want to train it then I would travel. Good luck.

 

[TaiChiTJ]

If you haven't seen it already here is a Northern Wu site. Dolbear has been into the style for years, studied in Beijing, I think, and wrote an article in Tai Chi magazine years ago.

http://www.northernwu.com/

 

[Xue Sheng]

Thanks

I will have to think about this further and of course run it by the boss (Mrs. Xue Sheng) she wants me to focus on one and only one style not the three I do now and certainly not a 4th so I am sure I would have to give up one or 2 in order to do this.

The only advantage might be if I can link this to Beijing, her hometown. It worked so far with Xingyi but that would be the first to go should I decide to pursue Wu.

Much thinking needed, thanks for putting up with my venting a bit and thanks for the responses.

XS

 

[Jade Tigress]

Thanks

I will have to think about this further and of course run it by the boss (Mrs. Xue Sheng) she wants me to focus on one and only one style not the three I do now and certainly not a 4th so I am sure I would have to give up one or 2 in order to do this.

The only advantage might be if I can link this to Beijing, her hometown. It worked so far with Xingyi but that would be the first to go should I decide to pursue Wu.

Much thinking needed, thanks for putting up with my venting a bit and thanks for the responses.

XS

You are a man obsessed. Hee hee, I love it!

 

[grydth]

At one point in my Tai Chi life, I fooled myself into thinking I knew 3 different ways to do "Cloud Hands"....... of course, I "knew" these as we Americans think we know things - I could klutz through them double time as if I were wearing the silly platform shoes of the 70/80's. I gave up one form as I was sure I was doing it badly.

But passing time sometimes works in our favor.....if we take the time to really learn a form and thoughly practice and study it..... we may be secure enough in that to move on to something different. I am convinced the problem occurs when we try to collect new knowledge too quickly, before we've assimilated and internalized our older knowledge.

I'd say go for it.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Update

I am likely not going to add Wu to the training for 2 reasons.

One I have too much to train already to do it justice.

And two due to recent developments with my Yang Sifu which I am not quite ready to believe what I think he meant when we were talking last week. I think it is best if I stay put to see if he said what I think he said.

Later.